Snake Eyes
by SarcasticEnigma
Summary: COMPLETE! An old friend of Batman's shows up, asking for help. When he and the League agree to loan her their services, will they regret the choice by risking one of their own? Or will they save yet another lost soul? Mild BMOC! BMWW undertones! R&R!
1. Intervention

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**_SNAKE EYES _**

**Chapter 1: Intervention**

Batman was crouched on a rooftop in a heavy snowfall. It was Christmas Eve and he was on reconnaissance work. The wind whistled fiercely under his cape as he carefully scanned the area below him. Gotham City, his home and domain. No one took better care this place than he did – no one. He'd been a little preoccupied lately, what with staying with the League and going unlimited. Then there was Hawkgirl's reluctant return and the trip through time. He never expected to see himself as an old – no, ancient man, still doing the "vigilante" game. Turns out, he was the Yoda of Batman's with a soft spot for dogs. Strange, he always thought himself as a cat person, given his past.

He'd been on that roof for hours and not one bit of trouble had occurred. Someone was taking care of business while he was off in space taking care of the "kids." Maybe it was Dick or Barbara, but that really didn't make much sense. Then again, maybe it _was_ them and they did it to do what he couldn't. It had been a while since he talked to either of them, not since Jason and Tim died. The intervention had been ugly and after a few more months as a lone bat, he joined the League.

"Batman," J'ohn called through his earpiece, bringing Batman out of his thoughts. "Flash and Green Arrow need some assistance on their mission in Kyrgyzstan. Care to join them?" It was more of an order than a question, but it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter.

"I'll be along shortly," Batman replied. J'ohn said his good-byes and Batman sighed heavily. "What a waste of time this was," he muttered.

He had decided to take some time out of his busy schedule to come back and take care of some other business. One of his informants had a tip about a supposed robbery to take place in the city. Whether or not it would happen or not didn't matter. What mattered was that he was there to see it through, true or not. The sight of two men breaking into a department store below interrupted his thoughts though.

"Now you show up," he muttered in annoyance.

Pulling out his grapnel, he shot a line across the road to the other roof. He quickly made his way across to the roof door and inside. By this point, the robbers would already be breaking glass and tripping the silent alarm. But, when Batman got to show room, the robbers were tied up and unconscious. He quickly ran over and checked their pulses; they were stunned.

"About time you showed up," a slinky female voice mocked from the shadows. "I've been waiting."

"Who are you," he asked while carefully scanning the room.

"You don't recognize my voice," she asked sounding sincerely hurt. "Fine. I'll lift the veil for you, Brucey."

""Brucey?" Oh, no." he groaned, and sighed as the woman revealed herself. A tall, slender, olive tan skinned woman appeared to his right and slowly walked over. She had raven hair, which was tied into a low ponytail braid. That, besides her bright eyes under a mask, which had two bright green stripes, were all he could see since the rest of her seemed to be covered in shadows.

"Hello, Kendra," he said half growling in disgust. "Last I heard, you were cutting a record in New York." She smiled wistfully as she thought about the old days, but she couldn't taste it for long before he ruined it. "Guess that didn't happen. How have you been?"

"Not as good as you, all comfy in that pretty space station," she said stopping in front of him and crossing her arms. He now saw that her body wasn't covered in shadows, she was just in a black cat suit which had a brown stitched corset and gloves with a silver belt.

"If you like it so much, why didn't you accept the offer to join," he asked eyeing her carefully. Kendra wasn't one you trusted easily. Even though she was considered one of the good guys to some members of the League, she was more of a double agent who couldn't make up their mind as to which side they were really on.

"I prefer to work alone," she stated coldly. "Thought it was the same for you," she added accusingly.

"It is," he countered quickly, growing annoyed with her. Just then, J'ohn came over the Comm. link again telling him to hurry up and get to Kyrgyzstan.

"So I see," she said alerting him that she heard J'ohn, effectively outing him as a liar. "You're welcome, by the way, for the thugs. Garbage collection is normally on Monday, but I thought I'd make an exception in their case."

"So I see," he mimicked her and turned on his heel, cape nearly whipping her face. "I gotta go."

"I heard." She stepped in his path and smiled wickedly. "Business or pleasure?"

"What do you care," he asked, moving toward the door again, not really caring about the answer, their time together ended a long time ago.

"Indulge me," she said forcefully, stepping in his path again. "You can't deny there's still something between us." Her fingers were now lacing his chest playfully.

"You're right," he said giving her the wrong impression before grabbing her hand, "and I'm afraid it's the law." He pushed her aside and went out the door, quickly shooting his grapnel to the previous roof and made his way to his jet.

"Kyrgyzstan, huh," she said from the other side of the stealthy jet as the police sirens came to their ears. "That's in Russia, right? Always wanted to go there."

"How did you get here so fast, and just why are you here," he asked walking around to face her menacingly.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Maybe you will soon, since I'm going to go with you," she stated simply, the same wicked grin on her lips as she hoped into the back seat of the jet.

"I don't think so. Get out," he stated as he pulled her from the back seat of the jet forcefully.

"Finally! An intervention," she shouted with glee, raising her hands to the air. Suddenly, she's becoming the Joker, he thought, less than amused at her behavior. Kendra wasn't even a child or adolescent rebellious teen, she was a full-grown woman at the age of twenty-nine.

"You should be an expert on those, Kendra." It was true that Kendra had always been a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket, but her actions were weird – even for her. "What was yours again? Alcohol abuse or illegal Splicing?"

"Very funny, Brucey, but you know very well that I'm legit. And the name's Taipana. Every vigilante has an alter ego, that's mine. You'd do well to use it." Her arms were crossed again and it was then that he noticed her nails. She'd sharpened them to a deadly point and left them completely free from the gloves, and green like the stripes of her mask. There was something odd about her nails, a surprising new development for sure.

"I've yet to see proof of that." He pushed past her yet again, steel in his voice.

"Then let me prove it," she persisted, almost begging as she grabbed his arm and forcing him to face her. "Take me on your mission in Kyrgyzstan."

"Give me one good reason why I should," he asked unconvinced that she was either serious or trustworthy. She didn't exactly have a stellar record of coming through in the clutch.

"I thought I just did," she replied cockily and released his arms from her bone-crushing grip. He stared at her for a moment, contemplating as to whether or not he should trust her again.

"Last time I went out on a limb for you, you nearly got me and Barbara killed." Reminding her of that day was one of her weak points; it was obvious by the way she cringed.

"A small mission gone awry," she argued in frustration. "You know better than anyone that I'm clean now."

"Do I?" She was desperate to convince him of otherwise, a sure sign she wasn't as clean as she said she was.

"If life wasn't risky, we couldn't enjoy it." She was coaxing him with her old charms. Kendra always pulled that dirty trick, using her feminine wiles to get her way.

"All people have something to hide, Kendra. The brighter the picture, the darker the negative."

"Am I coming or not, because this word spar is getting really old, Bats," she sighed, crossing her arms and leaning to the side.

"Fine, _Taipana_," he said icily. "You can come. Keep up," he ordered and jumped into the cockpit, Taipana close behind – literally. "Just remember, I'll be watching you."

"I would expect nothing less," she said casually, smiling to herself.

'If she's lying, I turn her in like I should've done years ago. If not, well…she can just go about her business,' he thought.

The jet fired up and they flew off swiftly into the night. Taipana watched the police in the short moments she had. As they dragged the thugs away, they were puzzled by one thing. The same thing that Batman was confused by: the thugs had been unconscious, but they didn't have a single mark on them. Besides that, their pulses were slowed down to a fatal rate.

**_A/N:_ **Intervention: to interfere, usually through force or threat of force, in the affairs of another nation.

P.S.: Four pages total.


	2. Getting to Know You

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 2: Getting to Know You**

The ride to Kyrgyzstan was long and quiet. Every time either one of them thought to say something – anything – they restrained themselves. Batman had only talked to Taipana long enough to tell her that there was a dispute of some kind involving the government, the citizens and a mysterious third group. That group had been anonymous throughout the beginning of the demonstrations, but they resurfaced recently and began to help the citizens vandalize and destroy buildings; they even started to kill policemen.

"They call themselves "The Liberators." They'll be easy to identify in a crowd," he explained, and pressed a few buttons. An image then appeared on the miniature screen in front of Taipana, on the back of Batman's seat.

"Imagine that," she mused, looking at them with an amused smile. These so-called "Liberators" wore black robes like Druids with symbols all over in a blood red color. They looks weird, to say the least, but who was she to talk?

"Huh," he asked suddenly, hearing her voice break him out of his thoughts. "What?" Her comment puzzled him, but he wasn't really paying attention to her to begin with.

"Someone dressed up in a frightening costume, running around scaring people," she elaborated. "What will they think of next," she added sarcastically before they returned to silence. It wasn't long before Taipana spoke again. "So…you're sure about this league of demonstrators?"

"Uh-huh," he replied dryly.

"We gonna get there anytime soon? It's nearly been four hours!"

"Uh-huh," he repeated, just as dry as before.

"You still think they'll be there when we arrive," she joked, hoping to get him to say something different.

"Uh-huh."

Taipana sighed heavily, frustrated at his casualness.

"Lucky for me you're still such a good conversationalist," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

About a half-hour later, they did arrive and the protests were still going on. Crowds of people were shouting at Flash and Green Arrow as they tired to put out the fire behind them. Some of them got through the police and threw bottles and such at the duos, who were hard at work.

Flash was creating a raging whirlwind with his arms to put out the fire. Meanwhile, Green Arrow was holding off as many of the protestors as he could with nets from his arrows, half of which were gone. Batman quickly landed the jet and the people backed away, completely instilled with fear. He and his "sidekick" jumped out and ran over to help Green Arrow. Only a few of the people remained, and those that stayed had more than bottle in their hands.

"What are you doing here? We don't need 'ya, Bats! Go back the Tower," Flash shouted unconvincingly, almost as if he was trying to make the situation seem funny. "There's nothing to panic about!"

"After you say that something panic-worthy always happens," Green Arrow stated as he readied another arrow.

All of the protesters, about five or six, pushed past the police easily and charged at them with bats and guns in hand. Green Arrow let off an arrow, which contained a bomb of sleeping gas. The big oafs ran right through it and fell asleep. Unfortunately, it knocked out the policemen, too. Batman glared at him and Green Arrow just shrugged.

"This was a waste of time," Taipana sighed as she regained her composure and put her hands on her waist, leaning to one side. "And here I thought I was going to have some fun."

"Whose she," Green Arrow asked as he walked over to Batman. "New recruit?"

"No," he said shortly as he turned to go help Flash put out the fire.

"What are you looking at," Green Arrow asked uncomfortably, as Taipana seemed to be in some sort of trance.

"Your hair," she said aimlessly. "It looked better on TV," she told him, and he started to rub his head for a moment, rather confused, before being hit upside his head. Without warning, the so-called Liberators appeared and began to attack. Green Arrow was down for the count and Batman was blocking them from getting to Flash who was still working on that whirlwind until firemen arrived.

"Magnificent," one of the Liberators said, trailed eyeing Taipana up and down.

"I suggest you save the flattery for the judge," she quipped with venom in her voice. The two began to fight as Batman held off three at Flash's corner.

Green Arrow shook his head, finally regaining consciousness, and saw one of the bastards sneaking up on Taipana. He quickly shot him with a boxing glove covered arrow. Taipana kneed her admirer in his groin and turned in time to see her sneak attacker fall. Looking in front of her, she saw Green Arrow running towards her, another arrow cocked and ready to go. He fired at her head without warning, but she ducked and the arrow moved to hit a man trying to get the upper hand Batman.

Sirens from the nearing fire trucks soon came to the Liberators ears. One by one, they took off and left the heroes to the clean up. One remained though; he was in the car and put the pedal to the metal as he charged at Batman. He saw this of course and jumped out of the way at the last second. The car swerved, trying to steer away from the burnt building. It managed just in time and turned back to Batman who, in turn, jumped into one of the police cars. They charged at one another, playing chicken, and the Liberator swerved out of the way again. He was so panicked that he lost control of the wheel, and ended up driving right the edge of a nearby shipyard dock.

A huge splash echoed to everyone's ears from the water as Flash put his arms down as he put the fire out at last and sat down to rest, rubbing his sore muscles. Sure, he'd created whirlwinds before, but never for such a long amount of time. The incompetent firemen came and hosed down the building just in case.

"Ugly and slippery. Irritating combination," Taipana commented, idly dusting herself off as she and Batman join Flash and Green Arrow.

"Where did you learn to drive like that," Flash asked Batman, shocked at what he'd done to the Liberator in the car.

"I've been donating for Paris Grand Prix for years," he stated with a stiff tone. "One of these days I think I'll enter it," he joked but his face was as stone cold as ever.

"Now, back to what we were saying before we were so rudely interrupted," Green Arrow pointed out, making a hitchhikers thumb behind his back as the Liberator fishing himself out of the water. "You are?"

"Taipana," she told him simply, not even holding her hand out for a respectful handshake. But that was her way; it always was and always would be.

"You were pretty good," Flash complimented, patting her back heartily and annoying her. "You should come to the Tower with us. Meet everyone; maybe join up."

"She's not coming," Batman stated causing Flash to frown. "If she comes, she'll know everything," he warned thinly, eyeing his former lover cautiously.

"If there's anything I know, it's how to keep a secret," she said coyly. "You know me."

"That's exactly it," he threatened, moving to be face-to-face with her. "I DO know you."

"And I know you," she threatened back, just as cold as he did. "Don't you forget that," she warned through clenched teeth.

"Why can't working with you be simple," he asked rhetorically, not expecting her to answer, but she did. She always did. Much like Flash, she always had to put in her two cents.

"There's nothing simple about," she began, trying to think of an appropriate way to describe them, "whatever it is we're doing." He didn't look impressed, so she began to think that maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.

"Anyway," Flash interjected, breaking them up. "You coming or not?" Taipana turned away from Batman to face Flash and Green Arrow. She had to think for a minute: should she go with her ex and his friends to their little clubhouse? Or go about her business as if never seeing any of them?

This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"Sure. Why not? I don't have any pressing matters to deal with back in Gotham." Flash and Green Arrow smiled widely and cheered slightly.

"All right, let's get going. Batman…Batman?" Green Arrow looked around for the capped crusader, but he was nowhere to be found. "Batman?" They suddenly heard the roar of jet engines and looked up to see him taking off without a second thought.

"He always knew how to make an exit," she trailed off watching him leave with the other two.

"One of these days I'm gonna wrap a little bell around that guy," Flash exclaimed, hating how Batman could just sneak off without making a sound.

"Can you believe he thought having a sidekick made things easier," Taipana posed to him, referring to his former partners – Dick, Barbara, and Tim – as Green Arrow contacted J'ohn.

"_He_ thought having a sidekick made things EASIER," Flash asked incredulously, jerking his thumb towards the trail the jet left behind. Taipana chuckled and shook her head at how shocked Flash sounded. Her smile faded though as she suddenly appeared in a high-tech skylab, which she could only assume, was the Tower.

P.S.: Four pages total.


	3. Bah, Humbug

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 3: Bah, Humbug**

"Welcome to the Watch Tower," Flash announced cheerily. Taipana gawked at the silver super computer complex. Famous heroes she'd read about and knew through word of mouth were walking around casually. She felt like a child on the first day of school with butterflies in her stomach. Everything was just so unbelievable.

"Flash, I see you brought a date," Batman commented, the remark obviously meant for Taipana. He came up from behind suddenly that he startled her, making her gasp and amuse himself.

"I have cats that make more noise than you," she commented easily, making the smirk on his face drop. He immediately knew whom that comment was referring to Selena. That shut him up, she thought proudly.

"Me," Flash questioned and shrugged, continuing the joke for Batman's sheer embarrassment. "I thought she was with you! She's got your taste in clothes," he added, elbowing his companion playfully in his gut. Batman glared at Flash, who stopped his nudging immediately, as Taipana, Green Arrow and a few of the other original League members joined them.

"Who's this," Green Lantern, asked curious, yet with the same kindness he always had. Batman looked as though he was about to say something rude, but Flash interrupted him and told the others who she was. "So you're the other hero from Gotham – the one who turned us down. How'd you get in this line of work?"

"Well, let's just say that I'm a civic-minded citizen with a lot of time on her hands," she replied, earning a laugh from Flash and few smiles from the others except Batman, Wonder Woman and J'ohn, who never really smiled. "The Martian Man-hunter," she asked, eyeing J'ohn curiously.

"Can I help you," he asked but, secretly, he was trying to read her thoughts.

"No, it's just the duty of every good citizen of Gotham City to report meeting a man from Mars," she joked seriously, remembering another incident with an alien, back when she and Batman were on good terms. As he continued to stare at her, Taipana's eyes narrowed as she looked at him more carefully. "Trying to read my mind," she asked, causing him to look shocked but she just smiled at him. "Didn't work, huh? Sorry, but it won't. I've dealt with telepaths before."

"Really? If that's true, why didn't you want to join us? You could be an asset," Wonder Woman piped up, crossing her arms. She was just as wary of her as Batman was himself.

"Like I told Bru-u-ah," she stammered, seeing his glare, "ah-atman, I prefer to work alone." Green Arrow then proceeded to remind her that she worked well with him and Flash. Taipana just discarded it though and sized up Diana. "I always thought you'd be taller, being a legend and all."

"Excuse me," Diana countered, moving forward to hurt Taipana but Batman and Superman held her back.

"Hey, time out," Superman shouted over the others, yet remained neutral as always. "There will be absolutely no use of superpowers to settle domestic disagreements," he stated. Ever the diplomat, that thought weighed on everyone's minds as Diana and Taipana calmed down.

"Take it easy, Princess," Taipana said calmly with friendship lining her voice. "I meant no disrespect. Just thinking aloud, if that's all right with you?"

"You know, half of me wants to strangle you right now," Batman said, moving his face close to hers in a threatening manner.

"What does the other half want," she asked with a wicked smile.

"To hit you with a truck," he replied, and she gawked at him with no surprise or shock, merely admiration.

"We used to date," she said by way of explanation, hands on her waist as she turned to face the others around them. Flash and a few others gasped at the knowledge, but Diana looked furious. Batman simply stared down Taipana before whipping around and walking away.

"This place is supposed to be a secret. That's the whole point of a secret lair," Diana argued silently to Batman.

"Then why are we floating in space, over Earth in plain sight of everyone," Flash asked, shrugging his shoulder with a sheepish smile.

"Look, the only reason I came here was because I need your help," Taipana stated, piquing everyone's interest. "Why do think I was in the exact same place you were at the exact same time," she posed to Batman as she walked over to him, her heels clicking as she went.

"What do you need? You look like you can handle yourself pretty well," Green Arrow commented, but a dirty look from Bruce made him shut his mouth.

"Thanks, but looks can be deceiving," she said quietly with defeat in her voice and on her face. "In all seriousness, Bruce, I need help. You remember our little Splicing incident a few years back?"

"How could I forget," he countered icily, still staring her down in suspicion.

"Yeah, well, the problem's come back to bite us in the ass," she stated bluntly, moving away to sit down on the edge of the teleporter. He just stood his ground, feet firmly planted.

"What do you mean," he asked.

"Oz Corp., that's what I mean," she replied. "They've taken over the industry of Splicing and plan to mainstream the process. You know, an upgraded version of tattoos to permanently disfigure yourself beyond belief."

"How do I know this won't be like last time?"

No one had a clue what was going on, but knew it couldn't have been good by his tone.

"You don't," she said simply with a small shrug. With that, he walked away only to have her run over and block his path. "Okay! Okay! I'll make a deal with you. If we go out on patrol and Oz Corp. is quiet, with no sign of trouble, we come back here, I'll make you Christmas dinner, and watch _It's a Wonderful Life_."

"You know, I've never seen that. I could never get past the title," he replied. Taipana and the others would have laughed at his deadpan had he not been serious.

"You're gonna love _It's a Wonderful Life_. It's a great movie," she assured him.

"I doubt it," he said, as dry as ever, then walked away with the other original Leaguers following him.

"Bah, humbug to you, too," she muttered and moved back to the edge of the teleporter to sit and wait.

P.S.: Three pages total.


	4. Concepts and Angles

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 4: Concepts and Angles**

"So, want to tell us how you know her," Superman asked his oldest friend as they sat in their chairs within the confines of their personal conference room.

"We worked together before all of us met during the alien invasion four years ago," he stated off-handedly.

"And you used to date," Flash stated with a big grin, but Batman just glared at him.

"I stopped working with her two years prior to that though, so it's been a good six years since I've seen her."

"And you used to date," Flash said yet again.

"That's not a concept you're cruising past anytime soon, is it," Shayera asked pointedly, ceasing Flash's one-liners and allowing Batman to continue. "Why'd you stop working with her? She seems nice enough."

"Like she said, looks can be deceiving. Those six years ago, she called me for a chance to repay a debt I owed to her. Someone was sending out chemical compounds to a company in Japan from the docks. Little did I know that, when I got there, she was hoarding a few of the chemicals for herself. I later found out that they were recently upgraded compounds for Splicing."

"I've heard of Splicing. It's the mixing animal DNA into one's genes for an appearance change. Very hush-hush now though. What happened," Superman asked in his usual polite manner.

"It was supposed to become the latest teen rage, but the D.A. wanted to outlaw it, claiming that tests show it causes a dangerous increase in aggressive behavior. They were right. They also forgot to mention that it's an addictive drug," he explained coldly. "She told me she's clean, but I'm not so sure."

"Then we shouldn't trust her," Diana stated forcefully. "You said she went to you for help only to end up betraying you in the end for this drug. Who's to say she won't do it again?'

"I AM," Superman shouted, slamming his hands on the table. He was really getting sick of those two arguing all the time. They were being sillier then teenagers. Kara's more mature than they are at times, he thought.

"You're being superior again," Diana told him angrily. Batman simply added his own two cents, saying, "Perish the thought."

"Do you know, when you talk like that you remind me of Charlie Brown's teacher? "Wah-wah-wah-wah,"" Flash said to Superman, moving his hand to pretend it was talking. He smiled up at the Man of Steel only to gain a deadly glare in return.

"Look, she sounded sincere enough. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt," he stated, seeing that Shayera was nodding with approval. "Bruce, you, Diana, and Wally will go with her to Oz Corp. If anything comes up, let us know and you'll have full back-up support."

As soon as they left the room, they saw Taipana waiting patiently. She had been talking to the Question, which was shocking because most of the time he didn't bother with socializing. He seemed to be intrigued by her; intrigued enough to stick around and talk to her while the original Leaguers talked. When they showed up though, he left as quickly as he came.

"You have our support. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash will go with you," Superman said, stepping up to her.

"No," she said immediately. "I'll take Bruce, Hawkgirl, and Green Arrow. We'll have a better tactical advantage with them," she explained. Superman eyed her carefully and she changed her authorial tone to be polite. "If that's all right with you?" Superman smiled and nodded. Green Arrow was called down and, as soon as he arrived, the four got on the teleporter and J'ohn sent them off to New York.

After that, the others went on other cases. Wonder Woman, who was in desperate need to blow off steam, went to the Training Simulator. J'ohn stayed on post at the computer while John went to work in the Netherlands with Vixen and Captain Atom. Flash, on the other hand, went to the cafeteria for a much needed caffeine fix. Once everyone was gone, Superman walked up the halls quietly. When he finally reached his destination, he noticed Huntress was just leaving. He made a mental note to ask about her later.

"Question, you have a moment," he asked to the faceless man's back.

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes," he said, quoting the musical _RENT_. Why, he wasn't really sure himself, but Question was always odd and did things no one really understood.

"Good to know," Superman said with a wavering voice, a little unsure. "I noticed you were talking to Taipana. I need you to do me a favor and find out everything about her."

"Harrison, Kendra Olivia a.k.a. Taipana," he stated, causing his superior to be a little shocked that he already knew her full name. "What do you need to know? Family? Date of birth? Haunts? Lock and key secrets?"

"Everything," he stated shortly, then turned and walked away to find Kara.

"How would you like me to go about it," Question called after him. Superman stopped and turned back to look at him.

"You're a detective – detect."

P.S.: Three pages total.


	5. Detection

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 5: Detection**

"Just a question, why'd you let me come along," Shayera asked as she stood next to Taipana on a rooftop. It was night and they were waiting for her to give the signal to go in. It was still Christmas Eve in the States, so it wouldn't be long before the building was clear.

"Why wouldn't I," she returned, barely glancing at her. "You're smart, a great fighter, keen senses, and you can fly, so we have an aerial advantage. And, besides Huntress and Fox, you're the only woman in the League that I can tolerate. Supergirl is okay, too, I suppose. But, then again, teenagers."

"Really," Shayera questioned with curiosity.

"Yes. But, don't worry," she assured her, looking at the Thanagarian with a smirk. "I actually like you. I remember when your people invaded and you left. When you came back everyone was afraid you'd betray us again, but I knew you wouldn't."

"How could you possibly know that? We"ve never even met before today, and we barely even know each other."

"Simple. I've been where you've been." The look on Shayera's face made Taipana realize that, that had not been the answer she was expecting. "I know what it's like to lose those that you love because of one mistake. I know what it's like to have to redeem yourself and not have anyone believe or trust you. I know what it's like to have to see the scrutinizing looks on the people I called friend's faces every single day. I've been where you've been, so I trust you."

"Besides Superman, Flash, and J'ohn, I think you're the only person to welcome me back. Thank you."

"Not a problem," she replied with a smile and both turned to look back at the building. "Can I ask you a personal question?" Shayera nodded and Taipana took in a breath. "Why don't you wear a mask anymore, besides the obvious?"

"I don't wear a mask anymore for a lot of reasons," Shayera stated firmly, catching the double meaning. "They make you itchy, they make you sweat –"

"They make your mascara run…" Taipana added jokingly, trailing off and making Shayera smile at the little. "It's a vanity thing. I, on the other hand, need to wear one. I prefer it that way."

"Makes it easier to hide," she questioned and Taipana just stared at her with a thoughtful look.

"Sometimes hiding is all I can do," she replied easily.

"Why'd you put one on in the first place," she asked curiously.

"A bad memory," she replied solemnly, "and a promise."

-----------------------------

"I think you'll be both pleased and surprised by what I found," Question stated as he stood at the end of the conference room table. He held up a semi-thick file in the air before tossing onto the table to slide it towards Superman.

"What is it," John asked as he watched Superman shifted through the papers of the file.

"Based on our last meeting, I asked Question to find everything he could on Taipana," Superman explained to everyone.

"You did a background check on Bats' ex," Flash exclaimed, sounding upset, but his trademark smirk gave away his amusement. "You sly dog, you," he added proudly.

"Flash," Superman warned with an edge then went back to flipping through the files and pictures.

"Well," Diana asked as Superman sighed and closed the file. "What does it say about her?"

"Nothing good. Apparently, Taipana hasn't been as honest about her activities as she said," he stated sadly, shaking his head in disappointment. "Seems like she's been involved in a few rather illegal activities, with some less than civil citizens of Gotham."

"Such as," John asked curiously, leaning forward in interest.

"I think it's time we call Batman, let him deal with her in his own way," he replied tossing down the open file. It lay open on a picture of Taipana, speaking with Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow.

-----------------------------

"Let's go," Batman announced from his spot with Green Arrow.

"Wait," Taipana called as both she and Shayera running over to them. "Not yet. It's not time!"

"We've waited long enough," he stated forcefully.

"We go in now, and you're going to get us killed," she stated even more forcefully than he did. Green Arrow watched from behind Batman with a raised eyebrow, and Shayera watched in the exact same manner from behind Taipana. They could stand and glare at one another for hours.

"Um, as much as I hate to interrupt this, and, believe me, I do, but shouldn't we be watching the building for the perfect time to go in," Green Arrow ventured awkwardly.

"We have to wait until the last guard leaves. After him, all but the lights on the in the lobby will be off. The automated security will come on and I have the access codes to shut them off. We'll be in the clear," Taipana explained, eyes still on Batman.

"I can hardly wait," Batman said dryly, and Taipana scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"How do you do that? Support me and undermine me at the same time," she asked to him, arms out wide before resting on her waist as she waited for an answer.

"It's a British thing. I learned it from Alfred," he said, smirking at her.

"Figures," she scoffed, rolling her eyes slightly but smiling at her memories of the old man.

Batman pulled out his binoculars and watched the building. He saw a rather fat guard exit the front doors, turned to lock them, stepped in his car and drove off. Raising the binoculars up the length of the building, he saw that the lobby lights were the only ones that were on. Sighing inwardly, he dared a look at Taipana. He groaned at the smirk on her face.

"Now we can go," she told them smugly. Shayera grabbed her hand, prepared to carry her over the building, Batman pulled out his grapnel, and Green Arrow one his special arrows.

"Batman, it's Superman," he heard in his ear.

"Wait a minute," Batman said, halting the other's movements. "Go ahead."

"There's something you need to know about Taipana."

P.S.: Three pages total.


	6. Idiotic Decisions

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 6: Idiotic Decisions**

"You lied," Batman seethed coldly at Taipana, who just looked at him oddly.

"What? What are you talking about? We don't have time for this. We have to go now," she urged exasperatedly, hands on her waist.

"You're right, we do. We have to go back to the Tower, and you have to go back to Arkham," he replied. Green Arrow and Shayera looked between the two, slack jawed at his words. Taipana looked at him in confusion, then sighed quietly in realization with her head hung low.

"Um, what's going on," Green Arrow asked, effectively breaking the silence that had fallen over all of them.

"Superman just contacted me," Batman announced, eyes boring into Taipana. "He told me some things that you failed to mention, Taipana."

""Failed to mention?" Failed to mention, what," he questioned again, his head moving as if he was watching a tennis game.

"That she's been living in the lap of luxury, rich as can be, and working for the Scarecrow, in Gotham, again," Batman explained. Green Arrow and Shayera turned from Batman to gawk at Taipana.

"You don't understand the situation, Bruce," she said quietly.

"I understand perfectly. You lied to me, Kendra. You lied to me, and to the others," he shouted, striding over to her.

"I didn't lie," she insisted. "I told you I was clean and needed help, which I do, and –"

"You've been killing people, Kendra," he cut off, and silence fell between them again as Taipana realized he knew everything. "You've been killing people, for HIM!"

"No! No," she argued, poking him in his broad chest. "I only kill the people that deserve it: drug lords, rapists, murderers – you know who I'm talking about! I kill the evil underbelly of Gotham. The marks he gives me that don't deserve to die, I don't kill. I fake their deaths, and he doesn't know any better."

"So you save people," Green Arrow questioned in confusion from the whole conversation.

"On good days," she replied dryly, scowling at Bruce.

"And, if you kill people for a living, why don't you carry any weapons," he questioned. The masker archer thought for sure if the situation became even more perplexing, would be scratching his head.

"I _am_ the weapon," she said with a small smirk. "I don't kill unless completely necessary."

"Are you saying you're not dangerous and violent," Shayera asked, arms crossed.

"Absolutely I am," she stated, saying that she was indeed both things, and Shayera nodded, her curiosity satisfied.

"You were supposed to stay out of trouble," Batman said firmly.

"Don't tell me you're my very own private probation officer? How often would you like me to check in," she asked with a smirk.

"Why," he asked quietly, still in shock from the news. "Why'd you do it?"

"You, of all people have the gall to ask me that," she shouted at him, shocking even him into silence. "You ruined my life! You sent me to prison! I was willing to give you any life that you wanted, just to keep you out of mine!"

He knew what she meant by that. By her making parole and him in the League, no one was around to take care of Gotham, so she took up the cowl again and did it for him, so he could save the planet and be with others like him. It didn't really matter that he was still anti-social with most of them.

"I was just trying to stay alive, Bruce," she said quietly, and he wasn't sure if he could believe her sincerity.

"There's a difference between staying alive and living," he told her wisely, making her scoff. "You're a murderer, Kendra! You've killed innocent people!"

"So, the same criminals that you've put in jail, the real evil of the city, they're innocent now," she asked furiously, staring at him. "You may not kill them, but you sure don't save them either! Just face the facts, Bruce. You got nothing on me!"

"You seem to have me confused with the police, Kendra. I want information, and I'll get it anyway I please! Whose Scarecrow's boss? He's certainly not smart enough to run this operation with just you."

"You want information, watch the News! And stop calling me Kendra!"

"I'll call you whatever I want. Right now, I'm thinking of calling in the cavalry to ship you off to Arkham." With that, he grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, away from the other two heroes.

"Are you confused," Green Arrow questioned Shayera.

"I'm really not," she replied.

"As long as one of isn't," he commented, watching the black clad heroes across the roof.

"Don't you get it, Bruce? With the splicing drug, we could have fought back against all of the scum of the city. We could have made our own order," she said enthusiastically.

"I was born to fight your brand of order," he remarked, making her sigh. "Why did you lie to me? You could have come to me. I could have helped you."

"That's just it, Bruce. I didn't want your help, not after last time. Do you know how hard this was for me? Coming to you for help? You don't even know."

"I have a pretty good idea."

"Liar! You don't understand. I have to be the best there is, no matter what it takes!" Batman was astounded by how desperate she sounded, even concerned, but he brushed it aside nonetheless. He couldn't let this get personal, not again.

"Defeat can be more instructive than victory."

"What, did you're ninja friend teach you that," she scoffed, crossing her arms.

"What, did taking the splicing drugs make you even more crazy than you already are," he retorted with a barely noticeable smirk.

"I can't change what I am, Bruce! What do you want from me," she shouted in more desperation.

"All I want is for you to disappear," he shouted loud enough for the other two to hear, who stared at him in shock. Taipana paled a bit and nodded slowly.

"Okay. Okay," she conceded. "But just remember the old saying: "Be careful what you wish for."" The two just stared at one another for a long time before Batman sighed quietly.

"You can stay here if you want, but you're not coming with us," he stated firmly. Taipana was confused. Was he letting her go?

"No longer welcome," she asked, feigning curiously, knowing the answer.

"Exactly," he replied before walking over to Green Arrow and Shayera, Taipana close behind. "J'ohn, prep the teleporter for three," he said in his earpiece.

"Two," Shayera announced firmly, making the men stare at her in confusion while Taipana looked a little grateful. "I don't care about the history you two have, but there's still something to be done here," she stated, walking over toward the now stunned Taipana. "I'm not going to leave her alone to do this job, even if _you_ will," she said pointedly to Batman, who glared at her. Green Arrow, for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, just looked dumbfounded.

"Prep the teleporter for two, J'ohn," Batman said quietly and the two men were soon teleported out of sight.

P.S.: Four pages total.


	7. Moments of Weakness

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 7: Moments of Weakness**

Batman and Green Arrow had arrived back at the Tower by now. Both Shayera and Taipana knew this. They also knew that they must have told the others what had happened. They would be less than thrilled, to say the least, on Shayera's part, but what did she care? She knew she had to be careful and watch her back around them, careful not to make any mistakes, but here she was, making a very big mistake. Did she care though? No, and Batman knew she didn't. Taipana had been where she had been before; they could relate to one another. That, leaving out Taipana's colorful past for the moment, was all that mattered.

"So, you're a bounty hunter," Shayera asked as they sat on the edge of the roof of their target.

"Just to pay for my piano lessons," Taipana replied easily.

"You play piano?" Taipana just stared at her, eyebrow quirked. "A joke, right. I got that. So what do you do with all that money you make? From the sound of that argument, you must live pretty comfortably. What did you do to keep living the way you do with the job that you have, tax fraud?"

"I may be crazy enough to take on Batman, but the IRS? No, thank you! And, if I know Bruce, the file the Question got for your friends will be on it's way to Gotham PD. It doesn't matter that I'm innocent though," she sighed solemnly. "I'll go back to Arkham when we leave here."

"If you're innocent, go down to the police headquarters with me and tell them your story."

"That's not my style," she stated. "Besides, would you," she questioned pointedly.

"Good point," she agreed. "But I've redeemed by myself; you haven't."

"Not yet," she corrected. "That's what this was about," she added with a nod to the skylight they were going to enter through. "Besides, you haven't redeemed yourself, not with everyone, and you know it." Shayera saw her point and nodded, thinking of Wonder Woman. "Listen, I'm as broody and self-destructive as the next girl. I was only doing what I had to do."

"But why did you do it? You have the perfect life, the kind of life everyone dreams about. So why give that up for some drugs, to hunt and kill people?"

"Because the life I had wasn't what I wanted," she answered easily. "I was born into the very same life I'm living now, and I hate it. I was an outcast then, and everyone knew, even Bruce. I suppose that's why we became such good friends," she mused. "The truth is, even then, I needed adventure, danger. I needed a life that my family didn't want to provide."

"So you ran away?"

"No, my parents disowned me, _then_ I ran away," she replied with a bitter smile. "I found Crane and we became partners, working together on perfecting splicing. I was the test subject for the drugs since he was already…different from a previous experiment. The changes came in and I became Taipana."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Shayera commented, referring to her name.

"Good a time as any. Crane spliced me with a drug for the Inland Taipan of Australia. It has the most toxic venom of any snake. On me, the venom comes from my teeth and nails. Scratch, bite, die," she explained. "Crane once told me that the maximum yield recorded for one bite was a hundred and ten milligrams. That would probably be enough to kill over a hundred people. The snakes are rare, and are virtually unknown in collections outside of Australia. I'm an oddity in America. Yay, me," she added humorlessly.

"So, you're a poisonous snake that could kill hundreds of people with one scratch?"

"Basically," she answered with a coy smirk.

"You could take out the whole League if you wanted to," she stated in awe.

"Key word, "if." Besides, all those superheroes with their powers against little old me? I'd be overwhelmed in a second, I'm sad to say," she stated, knowing full well that any one of the superheroes could take her out. "Anyway, I did the vigilante thing for over sixth months, helping Batman and Batgirl in the shadows, continuing to take the drug. Then Crane told me about Bruce and his late night flying, knowing full well that I didn't know who the man behind the mask was. I decided to quit. I didn't want to fight Bruce; he was my friend, my only friend. So I left and I told Bruce, well, Batman, everything that very night, leaving out my involvement. He got Batgirl, Barbara, and we went to the docks. You know the rest."

"So what happened after that," Shayera asked with a nod.

"Bruce had me arrested as an accomplice and smuggling drugs with intent to sell, but, by then, I was already changed permanently. Because of that and my lack of fixes on the drugs, I went through withdrawal the likes of which no one had ever seen. It was very intense, extreme," she remembered shakily. "During my withdrawal, which only helped cure me of my need of the drug, some thought I'd gone mad. Others thought I always had been. So Bruce put me where everyone, himself included, thought I belonged: Arkham. And, like I said, that's where I'll be going back to when we're done, as Bruce avidly mentioned."

"That's all in the past now. You're trying to make things right. You don't deserve to go to prison," she assured her

"I know it's in the past; ancient history. I'm a new woman, but he probably won't figure that out until it's too late," she said solemnly, thinking of Batman.

P.S.: Three pages total.


	8. Unexpected Development

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 8: Unexpected Development**

The two had gotten into the building easily enough. The skylight opened without a sound and they had dropped in just the same. They made it past the security cameras without trouble. They ran through the halls, going up and down and through doors until they reached what looked like the bank of the company. Shayera thought for sure that Taipana would go there for some cash, saying that the files they needed to bring down the company would be in there. Shockingly enough, she didn't. She kept going until they reached the door that they needed with a security lock.

"Looks like the alarm cord was eaten through with acid like the locks on the skylight," Shayera said as she looked underneath the security panel. She turned to Taipana with a quirked eyebrow.

"That's also not my style, no finesse."

"Did you try to get in here before," Shayera asked knowing full well that she had, making Taipana groan.

"Okay, fine! I did this! Can we just go," she urged impatiently.

"I'm seriously starting to question whether or not I can trust your word," she replied as she began to work on the panel to open the do.

"You can trust me, Shayera. I just didn't want you know I tried once and failed."

"You didn't want me knowing you failed at getting in this building so you lied to cover your ass," she asked incredulously, and Taipana nodded. "You're getting stranger by the minute. I thought for sure you wouldn't care what I thought about you," she commented casually as the door opened and they went in, Shayera wearing a proud smirk.

"Well, I do," she said and they walked across the office to the bookshelf.

Predictably, Shayera noted that Taipana pulled a book out and the shelf lifted up into the ceiling to reveal a large safe, like the one at the bank, with another security panel. Taipana reached into the top of her right glove and pulled out and folded piece of paper. Shayera watched silently as she walked over to the security panel and began to type in a code from the paper. The panel suddenly slid in and Taipana smiled in success, but an alarm went off and the bookshelf came back down. The two ran out of the room with a groan and into the hall. They ran back towards the skylight until guards suddenly surrounded them.

"I thought you said there would be no one else in the building," she said lowly as the stood back to back, her mace held tightly in her hands.

"Well, I did try this once before. They must've thought I would come back," she commented off handedly.

"Good thinking," she muttered angrily. After a quick glance, Shayera let out a war cry and knocked back a few and the two made a made dash to round a corner. They heard the guns fire and the two just stood with their backs against the wall. A moment after the firing stopped, Shayera looked around the corner only to nearly be hit in the head. "Merry Christmas," she muttered to herself and looked around. "Never a blasted good cop when you need one!"

"That's it! I'm tired of hiding," Taipana stated in anger. She clenched her fists and all Shayera could do was watch as her fingernails and canines grew longer, almost making her look like a vampire. Her transformation was complete, she made to go around the corner, but Shayera stopped her.

"We just can't go around killing innocent people," she insisted with a firm grip on Taipana's arm.

"That's what I hear," she retorted, ripping herself away from Shayera and running around the corner to fight.

Throwing caution to the wind, Shayera soon joined her and the two fought against the swarming guards. The two were winning against the guards, and they both knew it. Shayera was throwing them against the walls, trying desperately not to hurt the men. She wasn't sure if Taipana was poisoning the guards, but she couldn't worry about that.

Looking behind her, she saw Taipana caught from behind and injected with something. Taipana struggled against the man, ramming her claws into the arm that held the needle to her neck. The man cried out and let go, and she pulled the needle from her body. Shayera finished the last of the guards, grabbed Taipana and the two ran back towards the roof.

"J'ohn! J'ohn! Anyone in the Tower! I need help, now," she called into her earpiece as soon as the two were on the roof again. Shayera looked to Taipana, who was leaning against the roof with a hand on her neck. Shayera walked over and took the needle from her, breaking off the needle itself and placing the rest in her pocket. Maybe J'ohn could tell them what was in the needle?

"Shayera," a male voice was heard coming through her ear and Shayera froze mid panic.

"J-John? What are you doing at J'ohn's station," she managed to get out, wondering what the Green Lantern was doing.

"I told to him to take a break, get something to eat. I just got off a mission, so…" he trailed off and silence fell between the two. "What did you need? It sounded important."

"It's Taipana. She's injured. Teleport us up," she demanded urgently, and there was a silence on the other end and she'd begun to wonder if he'd heard her.

"You got it," he said hesitantly, and the two were soon teleported to the Tower. Shayera knew as soon as they reappeared on the platform why John hesitated. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and J'ohn stood at the bottom, waiting for them, John soon joining them with an apologetic look towards her.

"Well, don't you just look like a regular damsel in distress," Flash commented with a smirk to Taipana as she made her way down the steps with Shayera's help. "You look so helpless. Need a hand?" He went over to help her, but she blew him off and moved away from Shayera to stand on her own.

"I don't do helpless," she said shakily, a hand still on her neck and her eyes closed in pain.

"Get back on the teleporter," Batman ordered Taipana, making her open her eyes to stare at him as if he had two heads. "I told you, you're going back to Arkham, and you're going right now."

"Batman, maybe we should let J'ohn look over her," Green Lantern suggested. "She doesn't look too good."

"Got that right," Flash admitted, crossing his arms and smiling. "She looks like she's a bird about ready to drop out of the sky onto unsuspecting people. How dangerous!" John scowled at him, hitting his shoulder. "What!"

"As of this moment, the most dangerous bird in the sky is the her," Diana stated firmly, pointing to Shayera.

"Hey! Standing right here! You have something to say to me, say it to my face, Princess," Shayera retorted angrily.

"Fine. You've got a hard head. How about using it for something other than a blunt object," she replied. Shayera moved to lunge at Diana, but John and Taipana ran up and held her back. Shayera calmed down a but and Taipana, still a woozy, stepped up to face the Amazonian princess.

"She saved my life! And, as far as I'm concerned, the only blunt object here is…y-you…" Taipana suddenly passed out, falling back into Shayera and John's arms.

"Let's get her to Medical," Superman ordered, ready to pick Taipana up and carry her to Medical, but Batman beat him to and the group ran off.

"Quick question," Diana said as the group filed into a room and Taipana was set down on a bed. "Why are we helping her? She's a criminal."

"Criminal or not, she needs our help, and we're going to give it to her," Superman stated.

"You're just one big forgiving doormat, aren't you," Flash questioned with a cool smile.

"I am _not_ a doormat," he insisted, making Flash suppress his laughter. Superman's brow furrowed as he turned to the others. "Am I?"

"If you had a middle name, it would be "welcome,"" Batman retorted dryly as they watched J'ohn work on Taipana.

P.S.: Four pages total.


	9. Core Overload

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 9: Core Overload**

"What happened," Batman asked quickly, turning to Shayera. She looked at the others hesitantly before telling them everything. The reaction was a mixture of confusion and, on Batman's part, a lack of surprise. Shayera then handed the broken needle to J'ohn, who examined it for a moment.

"Wait outside. I'll see what I can do," J'ohn said and the others left the room. Everyone stood around outside, waiting.

Shayera was staying somewhat close to John, but remained with Flash. He was trying to keep her spirits up while, on the other side of the room, Diana was glaring at Shayera. Batman stood by himself, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. Superman looked at his dark companion with sympathy. Superman knew all too well the stress of waiting rooms, so he decided to join him.

"J'ohn read her mind when she and Shayera came back, just before she fainted," he whispered to the dark knight, as not to let the others hear him. "He says that she was very fond of you."

"I was a different person then," he replied dryly.

"Yeah. Intense, driven, moody…she'd never recognize you now," he retorted, smirking at the Dark Knight, and received a glare in return. It was then that J'ohn opened the door and all of them came in to see Taipana attached to an IV drip and monitor. How good was government funding?

"How is," Shayera asked before anyone else could. "Do you know what happened?"

"Based on what you told me, I took some of her blood and analyzed it. What I found is highly disturbing."

"Well, what did you find," she asked, annoyed with J'ohn's pause.

"I found a steroid compound of the slicing drug. It is highly volatile. I read her mind. She did not inject herself with this compound," he explained, discretely eyeing the paling Batman. "If we do not find an antidote, she could become the animal the splicing gave her the characteristics of. In reality, the animal would live and she would watch everything it did from inside, unable to do anything."

"Eternal life trapped in the wretched shell of an animal – what a miserable joke," Flash said with a shake of his head.

"There are other possibilities," J'ohn stated tonelessly, per usual.

"One in which she doesn't end up a snake, I hope," Batman interjected in his usual tone, yet the others knew he was concerned, much to Diana's dismay.

"Yes," he replied. "The first possibility is that she would remain as she is, but with her power increased ten times over. The downside, sadly, is that as her strength and power increased, her dopamine levels and mental capacity would decrease. She would become clinically insane."

"Not like she isn't already," Diana muttered under her breath.

"The second possibility is similar to the last," he continued. "She will stay the same with her poisonous abilities, but have others as well. Night vision, speed, stealth, and any other number of abilities that could be associated with, for lack of a better term, a mutant snake."

"She'd be an advanced version of Copperhead," John stated, happy to simplify what J'ohn had told them.

"She won't have super speed though," Flash added quickly. "That's reserved me and me alone. I'm even faster than you, Supes! Some people get all the best powers."

"You are so egotistical sometimes, Flash, I swear," Shayera commented with a scowl.

"Did you just call me egotistical," he questioned in shock.

"Did I say "egotistical?" Forgive me. I meant "idiotic,"" she retorted, making him stick his tongue out at her. Unbeknownst to the others, a small bug crawled on the floor, across Shayera's foot. "Ugh, filthy creature," she exclaimed, stomping on it.

"I've been called worse."

Everyone looked to the bed to see Taipana starting to wake up. J'ohn moved to her quickly, helping her to sit up.

"Wow, you all look like your dog just died," she mused, giving all of them a once-over. "I guess I know how bleak my future is then."

"Actually, you could end up trapped in the body of a snake, never escaping, or become insane, or a super mutant superhero like the rest of us," Flash told her with a broad smile, trying to lighten the situation and failing miserably.

"Are those my only options," she asked with a frown, closing her eyes from the brightness of the light.

"Unfortunately, yes," Batman said, and Taipana looked at him sadly. She looked near tears and leaned back in the bed, sighing heavily. It was then that he noticed how shaky she was. Walking over to her bedside, he felt her forehead and saw then that she was sweating. "You're hot."

"Now you notice," she joked quietly with a smirk, and was happy to see him smirk back.

"J'ohn," he called and the Martian Man-hunter nodded to him. His back was turned for a moment before he walked over to Taipana with a filled needle.

"If that needle's going where I think it is, I will twist off your hand and you will be known as "Stumpy" for the rest of your life," she said immediately, scowling at J'ohn.

"Afraid of needles," he questioned in his usual monotone.

"No," Batman and Taipana said at the same time. The two looked at one another afterwards, glaring. Taipana had simply meant that she wasn't afraid of needles, while Batman was referring to her frequent use of them in the past.

"Either J'ohn gives you the shot and brings your fever down, or you don't get it and possibly die from it. Choice is yours," Batman stated firmly, and she nodded after a moment and received the shot.

"We'll leave you two alone," Superman said, silently ordering the others to leave the room. Everyone noticed Diana's hesitance before she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Kendra," he sighed quietly, looking her over in her worsening condition. "If you aren't careful, you're going to get yourself killed." Taipana just smiled weakly as the shot, which had conveniently been a sedative, set in.

"Are you getting soft on criminals, or just on me?"

"I think the fever is making you delusional."

"Ever the escape artist, I see. Some thing will never change," she stated, smirking. "So, tell me, what do you care about some leggy dame in leather, Bruce? Or have I answered my own question?"

"Delusional," he said simply, smirking at her. "Get some sleep," he ordered and turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.

"Stay with me, please. Just until I'm out. I don't want to be alone, Bruce," she begged softly, which was odd for her, so he nodded and moved back to her side. "You know, in all the time that we've known each other, you never did tell me what happened that made you put this on," she said, touching his cowl. "Though I have a good idea, why?"

"A painful memory…and a promise," he admitted softly, thinking of his parents and still holding her hand tightly. No matter how much he wanted to admit it, he still loved her like he loved all the women he had been with at one time or another.

"Thought so," she mused. "I'd say you're keeping that promise pretty well…unlike me."

"You were doing fine, until Crane," he told her, completely honest, and she just nodded. "How'd you find him anyway?"

"I didn't. He found me. I helped him; he helped me. He trained me; I betrayed him. Weird thing is, he saved me. I found my soul after my family wrote me out of their life."

"It sounds like you found the self-help section of the bookstore."

"You making jokes now? That's different. You should crack some more often. It looks good on you," she said and silence fell between them for a moment. "Someone purposely injected me, Bruce. It was planned; I know it, I can feel it. So, the question is, who wants to get rid of me?"

"That line is slowly forming around the block," he told her seriously.

"The Princess right behind you, I assume," she snapped angrily. "I'm sorry I lied, Bruce. I really am, but I didn't know what else to do."

"You get to a point where you can't lie anymore, Kendra," he said. In that moment, she didn't even care that he was calling her by her real name.

"I wouldn't know. I've never reached that point. You'll have to tell me about it," she requested, and he nodded slowly. Batman stayed with her a little longer, holding her hand, until she was asleep and left the room.

"She's out," he announced to the others, who just nodded in what he could only think was relief.

"So, what do we do now," Flash asked curiously. It was a good question. What were they going to do? After all, Taipana had lied to them.

"We find the antidote," Batman said as if it was the simplest thing in the world, then turned to J'ohn. "How long does she have until the transformation?"

"At best, twenty four hours, but I cannot be certain. It may be less than that. We will have to hurry, but where do we start?"

"We should go back to Oz Corp.," Shayera suggested. "After all, that's where it happened; that's where the antidote should be."

"I'll go," Batman stated firmly, leaving no room for argument, so Superman just nodded.

"Me, too," Shayera said a little guiltily. "I mean, I should've been watching her back better. If I had…let's go to the teleporter, J'ohn," she finished sadly, head hung low, and the two left quietly.

"I'll go, too. John, go grab Vixen. If she stays here any longer, I think she'll start climbing the walls. As for the rest of you, you're to stay here and monitor Taipana's condition with J'ohn," Superman ordered with a tone that left no room for argument. Flash and Diana went into Taipana's room, while John left to retrieve Vixen. Batman just stood in the same spot, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine," he replied. "I always am."

"I know," he said and sighed quietly, more than concerned for the Dark Knight. "You and her, you were…?"

"Yeah," he replied simply with a nod.

"When?"

"Before Rachel," he said simply and Superman nodded, knowing that meant Taipana was the first. "We were friends for years. I met her before my parents…well, we met through our father's businesses. She didn't know about this for a long time," he told the man of steel, pointing to his cowl. "At least, not until after I put her in Arkham."

Unfortunately, Batman didn't know that Taipana had known for a long time, and Shayera certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell him. It wasn't her place.

"When I told her, she…well, let's just say she went crazier than she already was. No one believed her when she told them."

"That's the downside of having a secret identity: the secrecy," Superman stated, then became very serious with Batman. "You haven't spoken to her since then, and now she needs your help. Maybe you should give things with her another shot. She needs you."

"She's need the antidote," he corrected forcefully and walked away. Superman just sighed, shaking his head, and followed reluctantly.

P.S.: Five pages total.


	10. Executive Decisions

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 10: Executive Decisions**

Taipana lay in bed, still hooked up to monitors and still sweating and shivering. J'ohn had taken her temperature as realized it was dropping. After that, he decided to give her a full check-up and, when he got to checking her throat, he saw her tongue starting to grow thinner. J'ohn knew what the two changes meant. Taipana's temperature was dropping because she was becoming cold blooded, and her tongue was taking the shape of a snake.

The transformation was beginning.

"Do you think I could have a peanut butter sandwich," Taipana asked as J'ohn set down a tray of soup and juice for her.

"I do not think we have any peanut butter," he replied tonelessly.

"A gazillion dollars worth of computer equipment and not one jar of peanut butter. Oh, the irony," she commented as she began to eat the soup.

"What is this human obsession with food?"

"You try fighting the forces of evil and a deadly poison coursing through your body when your blood sugar's low."

------------------------------

"So, let me get this straight. She's a criminal, who's going to become a horrible monster in we don't even know how long, and we're trying to find this mysterious antidote to save her," Vixen asked after she had been told the entire story while on their way to the building Shayera and Taipana had previous been.

"Uh-uh," Batman said dryly.

"Why?"

"Because she needs our help."

"But, she's a criminal," Vixen reasoned, joining Diana's previous argument. "Why shouldn't we just hand her over to the proper authorities?"

"Because she's dying," he shouted at her, making the others on the roof freeze in their movements. "She's hurt, and dying, and she needs out help! We aren't just going to let her die, knowing we could have done something to help her! That's not what we do!" Vixen backed away from him, actually looking afraid of him. Batman just sighed and shook his head, calming down. "Sorry. Kendra's an old friend and, knowing her colorful past, I'm entitled to worry about her."

"Right, and I'm just a man in tights," Superman commented, making Batman look at him funny, eyebrow quirked. "Don't start," he warned and, one by one, they landed on the roof of the company building. As soon as they reached the skylight, they saw exactly what Shayera had seen, melted metal, and turned to Shayera for an explanation.

"She tried to get in before. I thought you knew," she explained, making the others sigh.

"Typical," Batman muttered to himself and the small group slowly entered the building. Shayera keenly noticed that the building was officially empty as they made their way back to the top where she and Taipana had been when attacked.

"So, how far did you guys get until you had to get out," Superman asked and Shayera had to look around a moment, and then saw they were exactly at the office.

"Right here," she told them, reaching out to open the office door. Unfortunately, the annoying alarm sounded once again, bringing the guards out of hiding. "Then they showed up." The fight was easy enough, the four heroes overpowering the lackeys without hardly any trouble.

"Security guards," Vixen scoffed while walking back to the door. Reaching down, she stuck one of her sharp fingernails into the lock on the door and opened it. The group entered the office one by one and Vixen followed with a scowl. "You're welcome."

"What do you want, a medal," Shayera questioned, making Vixen growl at her. "Where do we start?"

"Cabinets, computer, safe, anything. Just start looking," Batman ordered impatiently, going directly to the computer. Meanwhile, Superman went to the safe and the women checked the file cabinets. Superman, after a quick examination through the wall with his x-ray vision, broke open the safe and searched through the files.

"No mention of an antidote in here, but there is definitely enough of other information about the splicing to put the Scarecrow back behind bars," Superman told them while flipping through some pages.

"Scarecrow isn't behind it," Batman said and the others turned to him, only to see his eyes glued on the computer screen.

"What do you mean? You said that she was working with him again. It has to be him," Shayera exclaimed reasonably.

"He may be doing the shipping, but he's not the boss."

"Then who is," she asked impatiently, crossing her arms in wait.

"One guess," he said, looking up to stare at Superman pointedly.

"Please, tell me you're joking," Superman begged looking at Batman with annoyance.

"I wish I were."

"What's wrong? Who is it," Shayera asked, walking over and reading the computer screen over Batman's shoulder. "Oh, God. That Luthor is a ten on a creep-o-meter."

P.S.: Three pages total.


	11. Sand in the Hourglass

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 11: Sand in the Hourglass**

"So, what the plan," Superman asked as he flew beside Shayera, who was carrying Vixen while he carried Batman.

"There is no plan," Batman replied stiffly, a little uncomfortable being carried by the man who was basically his best friend. "We'll do whatever it takes to get the antidote. If that means killing Lex, then we will."

"Simple as that," he questioned in disbelief, not actually thinking Batman was serious.

"Uh-uh."

"Easy for you to say," he said begrudgingly.

The group was off to Metropolis to confront Lex, and Superman knew it wasn't going to go well. Lex had always been a thorn in someone's side growing up and he still was, only he was a thorn to everyone on the planet that knew better. The League had been looking for a way to stop Lex for years. Superman himself had tried to deal with Lex numerous times, but his threats and pleas to put and keep Lex in jail were all for naught. In Superman's opinion, Taipana was unknowingly helping them in the case to put Lex behind bars; they were indebted to her.

------------------------------

"She's becoming delirious," J'ohn stated as he felt Taipana's warm and moist forehead. She was shaking her head back and forth, as if caught in a bad dream. The worst of the news was that she was continuing to become cold blooded and her skin was starting to form into scales. "Have the others contacted you yet?"

"No, but they're not in Gotham anymore," Flash told him in confusion as they left the room and headed towards J'ohn's post.

"Where are they," Diana questioned as Flash sat down and began to search for the group of four. "I thought Oz Corp. was in New York. Where would they be going?"

"Looks like they're headed for…Metropolis," he stated proudly, and turned to the others in even more confusion. "Metropolis?"

"Why would they be going there," John asked, crossing his arms as he looked at the giant map on screen.

"Gather 'round guys and gals, and I shall discover the truth to this mystery," Flash exclaimed cheerfully.

"Just contact them," Diana ordered with an annoyed scowl.

"Don't get your star printed panties in a twist," he retorted, effectively earning a smirk from John and a glare from Diana. Flash smiled weakly, and turned from her quickly to contact the group. "Hey, dudes! Why are you going to Metropolis?"

"Apparently, the kingpin behind the whole splicing fiasco isn't Scarecrow. It's Lex," Superman informed him hastily.

""Lex?" As in Luthor? You've gotta be kidding me," Flash exclaimed, looking to the others behind him, who wore the same look of shock on their faces.

"Afraid not," he replied with an annoyed sigh. "We'll contact you as soon as we have something more. Superman out."

"Well, you guys heard it," Flash sighed, turning to the other after the connection with Superman was cut. "Lex is off to make more money with Taipana's life on the line. Great guy, that Lex," he said with mock enthusiasm.

"Whether she lives or not, she's going back to jail, so it really doesn't matter," Diana conceded.

"She's going to live," J'ohn stated. "Batman won't let her die. He still has feelings for her, and her for him."

"_That's_ a lie," she countered angrily, glaring at the stoic Martian.

"Look, I think we all just need to calm down," John suggested calmly, only to receive an annoyed glare from Diana and backed off immediately.

"Maybe we shouldn't interfere," Flash whispered to John, who now stood beside him, as the four walked back towards medical.

"But we always interfere! It's in the job description," he countered quietly as they stared at the fuming Greek.

"I'm going to check on Taipana," J'ohn announced as he entered Taipana's room, Diana close behind.

"Is he back yet," Taipana asked while trying to sit up in bed, but J'ohn gently pushed her down.

"No. They're off to Metropolis to find Lex Luthor," he told her, and Taiapana's face scrunched up in confusion.

""Luthor,"" she echoed. "_He's_ behind this?" J'ohn simply nodded, and she sighed heavily. "I thought for sure Scarecrow was the mastermind. Whoa, there's a sentence I thought I'd never say."

"The two are quiet opposite," he agreed, moving to a machine to check her vitals.

"Much like you and Batman," Diana added stoically, arms still crossed in anger from Flash and John.

"Jealous, Princess," she asked teasingly, smiling at her. Diana just clenched her fists with a glare, trying no to rush over and strangle Taipana. "What? You think Bruce loves you, Princess? You think he cares about you, about what happens to you? Maybe he does," she conceded off-handedly. "Maybe he truly cares, but that doesn't mean a damn thing when it comes to Bruce Wayne and Batman. The first thing you need to know is that they're two separate people."

"You're crazy," she stated, trying to block her out.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But, I know more about those two men than you _ever_ will, Princess. Julie Madison, Gotham socialite. Rachel Dawes, Gotham District Attorney. Vicki Vale, photojournalist for the _Gotham Gazette_. Dr. Chase Meridian, psychologist. Silver St. Cloud, another socialite. Rachel Caspian, daughter of a murderous vigilante. Julia Pennyworth, his butler's daughter and a French Resistance fighter named Mlle. Vesper Fairchild, a radio show host. Sasha Bordeaux, his former body guard. Lois Lane, Metropolis reporter for the _Daily Planet_. I'm sure you two have met. And then there are all the models and such he was seen with in-between to keep up appearances," she listed, and Diana paled slightly.

"All them? They're the normal one, some of which know and have kept his secret. There's still Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Batgirl, his ex-partner, Zatanna the magician, who I'm sure you've also met. Natasha Knight, a.k.a. Nocturna. Shondra Kinsolving, psychic and sister of Benedict Asp. Those are the vigilantes, but what do you expect? He's a playboy, or pretends to be, with a sweet tooth for the bad girl. Talia al Ghul, daughter of murderous villain Ra's al Ghul. Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman. Pamela Isley a.k.a. Poison Ivy. Andrea Beaumont a.k.a. Phantasm. And then there's me. I've lasted the longest out of everyone.

"Is it likely that Bruce and Batman loved all of us? Yes. Is it likely that they love you? Yes, as much as it hurts me to say. Will anything ever happen? Will you get that idealistic, magical happy ending? No, and there in lays the kicker of both sides of the infamous Bruce Wayne. Because no matter how much he may love you, he'll never be with you because he knows the truth."

"And what truth is that, pray tell," Diana asked, both curious and humoring her.

"That we, the women he loves, are his greatest weakness. If things got personal for him, he would just be another vigilante. And that's not Bruce. To lose one of us is his greatest fear…well, besides bats, that is," she said, and closed her eyes with a sigh, leaning back in her bed to attempt sleeping.

""Bats,"" she echoed incredulously. "Why would he be afraid of bats? That makes no sense," she argued, and Taipana opened her eyes to look at her.

"If you can't answer your own question, then you don't know him at all, Princess," she stated, smirking triumphantly though it was half hearted.

"You're delusional, and don't know what you're talking about," Diana stated, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself, and turned to walk out the door.

"Oh, but I do," she called and Diana stopped and turned, leaving both women to stare at one another. "I already know what Bruce thinks, but what about you? What do you think? Can I have a second chance," she asked seriously, and Diana eyed her a moment.

"Not unless you believe in reincarnation," she replied tersely and walked quickly out of the room. It was in this moment that Taipana looked to her right at J'ohn, who was quietly listening to the entire conversation.

"She's just a regular ball of sunshine, isn't she," she asked sarcastically and the two of them smiled at one another.

P.S.: Three pages total.


	12. End Game

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 12: End Game**

As soon as they entered the building, the Leaguers were bombarded with guards. They started duking it out with all the guards, slowly making their way to the top of the building, to Lex. Superman had just punched a man way from him and straight into Shayera's path. She was busy punching a man on her right, but quickly retaliated by backhanding the other man on her right as he tried to recover from Superman's blow. Meanwhile, Vixen and Batman were clashing back to back with guards of their own. They would block hits a few times before the guard would try to take their heads off. Luckily, they would always duck and get them in the gut. All four proceeded to knock out their remaining opponents and looked around.

"Let's go," Superman ordered and the group made a mad dash towards Luthor's office. The secretary outside tried to stop them, but Vixen pushed her aside, which allowed Batman time to bash the doors open to Lex's office.

"Ah, the Justice League," Lex said leisurely, leaning back in his chair, hands folded in front of him, without a hint of worry. "Superman, Batman, Hawkgirl," he greeted, "and I don't believe I know you, miss," he said, looking at Vixen.

"Good news for me," she replied scathingly.

"Is it a membership qualification that all of your little friends must break into my home and offices at some time or another and behave like barbarians," he asked, looking at Superman.

"I'll show you barbarian," Vixen retorted angrily, claws ready.

"Bet you will," Shayera muttered to herself, but Vixen heard and glared at her.

"Ladies! Not the time," Superman told them impatiently, and Lex chuckled in amusement.

"Tension among the ranks? How wonderfully delicious," he commented with a slimy smile. "Guards," he shouted, pressing the intercom button. Immediately, a couple of body guards stormed the large office to surround the Leaguers. Batman, less than concerned about the men, stepped forward to walk towards Lex, but a guard pushed him away.

"Stay away, infidel," the guard ordered, brandishing a night stick.

"Forgive my guard," Lex said sincerely, smirking darkly. "He feels that no one should precede me. Call it "overzealousness.""

"I think I'll call it "strike one,"" Batman retorted, sizing up the guard, but Lex continued to simply chuckle, unperturbed.

"We're done here," he told them amusedly. "Guards, please, escort my guests out of the building," he ordered, and one guard reached for Shayera's arm.

"Touch me, and that hand will never touch anything again," she warned, holding up her mace for the added effect and the guard backed off.

"Sir," the head guard asked.

"Get rid of them," he ordered, rising from his chair and turning away.

The guards immediately lunged at the group, and two were immediately thrown back. Shayera backhanded a man on her right again before turning to punch out another man. Batman was not far from her, and had thrown one man across the room, over Lex's desk, and turned just in time to see another man, who was about to punch him, but he leaned back in time to dodge it. He grabbed the guy's arm and pulled him into him so he could kick him in his gut. He proceeded to headbutt the man, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Meanwhile, Vixen was punching a guard on her left before gracefully performing a roundhouse on his head, effectively knocking him. Another man now had shown up before Superman, who had already knocked out three guards, with a nightstick raised above his head to attack him. Honestly, what was that going to do against the Man of Steel? Still, he ran at Superman, who knocked it from his hand with ease, shocking the guard. While he was stunned from the simple maneuver that had rendered him helpless, Superman punched the man in the face from underneath and he fell to the ground, bloody and defeated. Sighing quietly, Superman looked around and saw that the other guards were down.

"I think we're done here," Shayera commented.

"Give it up, Lex! You have nowhere to run," Superman ordered as the last guard was knocked unconscious.

"On the contrary, I have plenty of places," he retorted, and took off through a secret passage behind his vast bookshelf. Typical. As soon as they tried to follow, more guard rushed in and started to attack them.

"Infidel!"

Batman turned around to see the head guard, the same one from before, was up on his feet.

"If you only knew how sick I am of you calling me that," Batman said, and punched his lights out. He stood over the guard for a moment longer, making sure the knock-out effect stuck. Thankfully, and not surprisingly, it did.

"Well, that was fun. And pointless," Shayera announced sullenly. "Lex is gone."

"He went through here. Come on," Superman ordered, and the others joined him at the open doorway. "Elevator of some kind. No telling where it goes."

"Could be a trap," Shayera added seriously before smirking. "Let's go," she said, moving to step into the elevator.

"Are you out of your mind," Vixen shouted, grabbing her arm. "You said it yourself! It could be a trap! Are you complete out of your mind," she asked, and Shayera pretended to think for a moment.

"Yeah," she replied seriously and stepped in the elevator. The men soon followed and Vixen sighed, crossing her arms.

"The things I do," she muttered to herself and stepped inside. The doors snapped shut and moved upwards at an alarming speed.

As soon as it stopped and they stepped outside, onto the roof, they saw Lex about to take off in a small, private jet. The thing was probably built for occasions such as this. Without a second thought, Superman super-sped over and pulled Lex from the jet. He protested, of course, but it meant nothing as he was set on the ground once again. By this time, the others were there and Batman picked up Lex and punched him.

"My admiration for you was well founded, detective," Lex said to him, holding his jaw in pain.

"Too bad I can't say the same," Batman replied tersely, holding Lex to his face but his suit collar.

"Why don't we go back inside, and I pour you a cup of tea, Batman? It'll make you feel better," he offered sarcastically, smirking. Why he continued to smile like that, none of them knew. It wasn't like he was able to get away.

"In a snake's eye, Lex," Batman replied, mentioning Taipana in the smallest way possible to scare Lex. It worked, and Lex paled. "There's only one thing I want from you."

"The antidote," he questioned, and Batman nodded slightly. "Certainly. When you've earned it," he stated, and the Dark Knight glared at him, his grip tightening. "You see, humankind must be forced to serve the planet instead of its own appetites. Kendra Harrison is the perfect example."

"That's it," he said and punched Lex again. Once he was on the ground, he grabbed his collar again and dragged him to the edge of the roof.

"What are you doing," Superman exclaimed in alarm, following and watching as Batman held Lex over the edge of the roof by one ankle. "This isn't how we do things, you know that!"

"You and your rules. Rules are made to be broken," he retorted and looked at Superman, almost pleading for him to give him a break, just this once. "Five minutes."

"Superman, please, help! Help me! Stop him," Lex called in a panic. Superman looked over the edge to Lex and then back to Batman.

"Don't make me regret this," he said and walked back to Shayera and Vixen. Batman turned to look down at Lex and smirked.

"All right, scum bucket, it's you, me and thirty stories. You're gonna tell me exactly what I want to know."

"I'm not telling you anything!"

"Then I let go and you die," he said, pretending to lose his grip on Lex's ankle, making him scream. "Want to rethink your decision?"

"All right! All right! Kendra was working for Scarecrow years ago, but she got busted and went to jail! She made parole and became a freelance bounty hunter! She made a lot of money, then went back to work for Scarecrow on the splicing shipping's!"

"I know all that. Skip ahead," he ordered impatiently.

"What you don't know is that she was working for Scarecrow again as an undercover agent for the Gotham PD! She was trying to get me arrested, the stupid reformist!" It was here that Batman paled, remembering what Taipana had said before he left.

"_Someone purposely injected me, Bruce. It was planned; I know it, I can feel it. So, the question is, who wants to get rid of me?"_

Well, now they knew who and why.

"The injection wasn't just some random accident when she was at Oz Corp. You wanted it to happen, so it did."

"Yes! All right? Yes, I made it happen, all right," Lex shouted up panicky.

Batman now realized that he was wrong about her. Everything he said and did to her, the threats to throw her back in jail, they were all for nothing. Why? Because she was innocent. Taipana was completely innocent. And she was dying at the space station because of him. If he hadn't left her to invade the building alone, she wouldn't have been hurt. He should've believed her.

"I'll make you a deal," he shouted up, and Batman rolled his eyes. Lex was always making deals to get out of something. "I'll tell you where to find the antidote, but you have to do me a favor! You take care of a problem at the docks for me!"

Batman remained quiet and looked over his shoulder to Superman, who he knew had heard everything. Superman just nodded, and Batman looked back to Lex.

"Deal," he agreed. "Where's the antidote?"

He watched as Lex reached into his inner zipped-up jacket pocket. After a moment, the billionaire pulled out a thin vile of some purple liquid. Hopefully, the antidote. Batman pulled him up and snatched the vial from his hand, examining it.

"If this is fake, I'll come and drop you for real," he threatened, placing the vile into his utility belt.

"It's real. But, what do you care? Ms. Harrison is just another criminal, Batman. You give her that, and she'll just continue to work with the Scarecrow. A tiger can't change its stripes," he said with a devious smirk. "Now, about the docks…"

"Forget it," Batman said immediately and walked away.

"We had a deal," he shouted angrily.

"Thought it over," he replied. "Didn't work for me."

"Merry Christmas, Luthor," Shayera said with a triumphant smirk before the group flew off, Lex glaring at their backs.

P.S.: Five pages total.


	13. Brutally Honest

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 13: Brutally Honest**

While Batman, Superman, Shayera, and Vixen were headed back to the Watchtower with the antidote, a war was going on. While they had been off finding Lex and fighting his goons, Taipana had gotten worse.

Scales had erupted all over her mocha skinned body in a sickly shade of green. That same color appeared in her fingernails, which had grown to be oddly long and sharp, and her teeth had grown to give her the appearance of a vampire. Her dark mud eyes had whited out in her fever, and were now consumed in a bright golden yellow, even the whites. The usual tight, well-groomed appearance was gone as her hair, with it's dark green steaks, was flying every where and her clothes were tattered and torn. The gloves and belt had been ripped away, as had the choker. Her shirt, pants, and boots were destroyed and tossed aside as her muscles grew to an abnormal size, for a woman.

While four members of the League were trying to save Taipana, ever other member who wasn't on a mission on Earth was in the Watchtower, trying to kill her. Or at least slow her down. When the transformation had been complete, Taipana knocked out J'ohn and escaped the confines of her sick bed. She immediately started attacking everyone she saw. J'ohn, who had eventually woken up, went around the Watchtower to collect the injured Leaguers with a few others by his side, such as Hawk, Dove, Green Arrow, and Blak Canary. They were running around and collecting as many heroes as they could, who had tried and failed to bring Taipana down. She wasn't lying to Shayera when she said her scratches and bites were deadly.

"I knew you were just another killer," Diana hissed as Taipana. "Batman will take care of you when he gets back," she promised.

"A bat is just a mouse with wings, Princess, and I just happen to eat mice," she hissed, her voice changed to sound almost demonic.

The two had been fighting one on one since J'ohn had alerted Diana, who had remained in the training simulator after her discussion of Batman's past, and she rushed to fight the snake she hadn't trusted since day one. There were a few Leaguers surrounding them as they fought, like Supergirl, but all were told to stay back or help J'ohn with the ill.

"You can't win," she gasped painfully, a hand resting high on her ribcage. "Batman will take you down."

"Bruce. Ah, men," she sighed wistfully, almost sounding like her old self. "Can't live with them – might as well beat the crap out of them…or their friends," she added viciously before lunging at her, teeth bared and practically dripping with poison.

"We could do this all night," Diana gasped as she dodged not only Taipana's punches but her fingernails as well.

"That's always been one of my two favorite sentences," she replied, punching Diana in her face, knocking her to the ground. "Of course, Bruce knows that all too well," she added with a devious grin. Diana growled and clenched her fists, angry that Taipana was bringing up her love life with Bruce, as if to rub it in her face.

"I think its high time you faced extinction," she stated vehemently, shooting a slender leg out to kick Taipana's feet from under her. Unfortunately for Diana, Taipana back flipped after her feet were hit and her body never touched the floor.

"Extinction is for wimps," she retorted and kicked Diana in her gut before she got up to fight again. They were throwing punches and kicks until Diana had the upper hand and kicked Taipana in her back, effectively pushing her far from her and into a wall. That kick had left a large number of cracks and a hole.

Slowly but surely, Taipana rose to her feet, a bit shaky but not much. As her back was facing Diana, she looked like some ominous shadow. She looked as if she was going to reach for a weapon, Diana picked up a thick beam that had fallen from the ceiling earlier in their fight, and threw it at the wall above Taipana's head as a warning. Without thinking, she picked up another beam and moved in to attack her, maybe even kill her, but Taipana spun around and kicked the beam from her Diana's hand. She spun again and twirled a piece of steel from her and into Diana, blinding her for a moment. Taipana took the chance and kicked Diana in her throat, and then spun to kick her head once Diana had thrown the sheet from her. But, just in time, Diana tucked and rolled out of the way.

"I know you are not yourself right now, Taipana," Diana stated as the snake stared her down, "but I really am going to enjoy this."

Diana decided to kick Taipana's abdomen, effectively making her fall back with her superior strength. She stomped over to Taipana's fallen body and stood over her, prepared to pummel her into the ground, but received an uppercut to her jaw from her enemies foot. This gave Taipana enough time to get up and elbow Diana in her jaw again. As Diana recovered from the blow, she had an "I-bit-my-tongue" expression written all over her face. Taipana went to punch her again, but Diana grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nasty head butt.

Arms still locked, Taipana's back was now to Diana's chest and so she backhanded her to try and escape. It worked and their arms became unlocked, and so Diana took her shot and went in to punch the snake's again. But, once again, Taipana grabbed the princess' arms and kicked her side and then tried to kick her head but missed her target when Diana ducked.

Luckily, at that exact moment, the teleporter lit up and the missing heroes returned.

"Where is she," Batman asked hastily to Flash, who had been at the teleporter to let his friends back into the Watchtower.

"Well, Taipana has gone bye-bye and the mutant killer we all thought would come out is roaming free and beating up Wonder Woman," he replied easily, smirking weakly as he tried to lighten the mood.

"WHAT!"

"Chill, Bats!"

"Where is she," he growled, his face very close to Flash's, who pointed meekly in the direction of the fight. The group immediately ran, or flew, in that direction. As they arrived on the scene, all but Batman and Shayera paused. The latter two slowly approached Taipana, effectively moving her attentions away from her strong desire to pummel Diana.

"Taipana, you look…different," Shayera ventured with uncertainty, looking the transformed hunter up and down.

"What can I say? Being a reptile woman isn't pretty, but it's got its upside – like having the strength of an Anaconda, for instance," Taipana replied, and quickly punched Shayera, making her fall back into Flash. The speedster, thankfully, caught her and helped her steady herself.

"Oh, yeah. I think we've definitely moved on to the anger stage of grief," Shayera mused whilst detangling herself from Flash.

"You mean there's more than one stage," Flash asked confusedly.

"You have no idea," she replied quietly, her eyesight flickering briefly to John.

"Kendra, we have the antidote. We can cure you now. You'll live; you'll go back to normal," Batman told her reassuringly, stepping up and holding the antidote in the air for her to see.

"Now, why would I want that ridiculous antidote? Look at me," she said, holding her arms out wide. "I'm a goddess amongst men, Brucey. I can finally exact my revenge…on you," she said vehemently and crouched slightly, preparing for an attack.

"An eye for an eye," he asked, securing the antidote in one of the many pockets of his utility belt.

"Or any available limb," she retorted, and hissed as a few heroes tried to approach.

"Everyone, stay back," Superman ordered. "No one interferes!"

"How sweet," Taipana sneered at the Man of Steel before diving at Batman.

"I'm just trying to save you, Kendra," Batman shouted urgently.

"Well, it seems that everyone woman you try to save ends up dead…or deeply resentful. Maybe you should retire," she shouted, slashing at him once again, but he tucked and rolled. "You know they used to call Killer Croc, "The meanest dude in the wrestling federation". He hoped they'd call him the guy who iced the Batman," she told him, chuckling quietly. "Maybe I'll get a title like that after I kill you," she mused fiercely.

"This isn't any seedy back alley," he told he darkly, finally ready to take the gloves off. "You're on my turf now."

Batman lunged at Taipana without a hint of hesitance, and tackled her to the ground. To get out of her predicament though, Taipana effectively flipped her entire body forward to land with her butt on the ground. Their hands were locked as Batman managed to get Taipana into a chokehold. She struggled for a minute, gasping for air, hissing and snapping at his arm until her mutated strength kicked in. With her free arm around Batman's head, Taipana flipped the Dark Knight over her head and quickly got him into a chokehold of her own.

"You're going to die, just like all the others," she hissed into his ear as he struggled to break free.

"Maybe, but I'm going to make you work for it," he replied and shoved her off of him with a firm elbow to her gut. Taipana back flipped away from him, landing gracefully.

"You never should have put me in Arkham, Bruce," she hissed angrily. "You should have let me help you!"

"If I had, I'd be a mouse with wings," he retorted, smirking at her. She growled at him and charged. Her mistake was a simple lesson: to never attack in anger. She had managed to suppress it until that point and it would cost her. Before she could even raised her arm to attack, Batman ducked and threw her over his back. Taipana crashed to the floor and Batman straightened up to stand over her, appearing to have won.

"It's over," Flash sighed in relief.

"I would not be so sure," J'ohn told him, eyes never leaving the fight as the others looked at him curiously.

"You want to live like this, abandoned and alone? A prisoner in a world you can see but never touch, with the monster you're becoming in control," he asked her. "I'd trade a thousand of my darkest years for your worst day."

"You were there when it happened," she replied, and he knew she meant the day he arrested her. "Today's a close second!"

Taipana lunged at him once more, grabbing him by his throat. The force of her lunge made Batman fall backwards and onto the ground. She was straddling his waist, strangling him. Suddenly, Batman flipped her over him. She landed with a sickening crack on the floor. Taipana was groaning in pain when Batman picked her up, moving to punch her out. Unfortunately, she literally gave him the slip and twisted his arm mid-punch around, holding it against his back and into a chokehold. Kneeing him in his back, Batman succumbed to his knees whilst struggling to break free and breathe once again.

"We have to help him," Diana shouted and tried to run to him, but Superman pulled her back.

"No, he has to do this alone," he told her, holding her tightly. Everyone else knew better than to interfere.

"You've got nothing," she told him whilst he struggled against her chokehold. "Beg for mercy! SCREAM MY NAME!"

"Never," he gritted fiercely.

"You're beaten. Now I will break you," she said with calm resolve, letting her teeth grow sharp, venom dripping, and leaned down to bite him. "This is what's wrong with our relationship, Bruce. You always let me get too close," she told him and leaned in even closer, ready to bite.

"I couldn't agree more," he replied and deftly kicked her feet out from under her and stood up. As Taipan rose to her feet, she gawked at him and how calm he was. "What's the matter? Bat got your tongue," he asked sarcastically, smirking with a cocked head.

Taipana growled deep in her throat and moved to lunge at him, but Superman had been moving up behind her. He grabbed her to held her in place as she kicked and screamed, thrashing as she tried to break free. While Superman had his unbreakable hold on her, Batman pulled out the antidote and quickly injected it into her neck. Seconds later, she passed out.

P.S.: Five pages total.


	14. Redemption

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 14: Redemption**

Taipana's eyes slowly opened. Groggily, she looked around to see that she was in the medical ward, again. That place was practically becoming a second home, a hotel suite for her. She didn't like it one bit. As the fog in her head slowly started to clear, she saw that she was in new clothing, normal clothing. Her disguise was no where to be scene in the room. What had happened? She was so confused and couldn't remember what had happened to her uniform. Actually, when she thought hard about it, the last thing she remembered was talking to Diana about the difference between Bruce Wayne and Batman.

The memory actually brought a little smile to her lips and she climbed out of the bed and walked towards the door. After all, the League certainly couldn't keep her locked up in the hospital forever, could they? She had work to do. It was when she finally saw the mess that things slowly started to come back to her. The fever, the transformation, all the fighting, the carnage, nearly biting Batman, and Superman holding her, the pain in her neck. What had happened?

"Oh, my God," she mumbled fearfully. "Bruce!" As soon as his name left her mouth, she took off through the Tower. She ignored the startled looks, and even glares, that were tossed her way as she looked for Batman. When she found him, he was simply standing in front of a massive computer, typing calmly with the other original Leaguers around him, all working quietly. He didn't look any different. "Thank God," she sighed, and his attention turned to her. "I thought the worst. What happened?"

"You don't remember," Shayera asked, walking over to her a bit cautiously. It was then that Taipana noted on her winged friend's bruised cheek and wondered what happened. Had she done that?

"It's foggy," she replied with a small nod. "Bits and pieces."

"Well, to sum up, you went psycho in the transformation and tried to kill us all. Beat up Wonder Woman here, and scratched up Bats. All in all, it was a rather interesting day," Flash told her, crossing his arms with an amused smirk. Obviously, he had forgiven her, but that was his nature. Wait, she'd scratched Bruce? Looking over at him, she saw the bandage on his arm.

"I'm so sorry," she said to all of them, and while the others weren't sure, Batman could hear her sincerity. "Really, if there's anything I can do…"

"You could leave," Diana suggested bitterly, glaring at her. "You've caused enough trouble," she added and walked away.

"Still a bowl of sunshine, I see," she mumbled, watching her leave before turning back to the others. "Am I free to go? Home, I mean, not prison," she added quickly, looking to Batman. It was here that silence followed, since no one really knew what to say, and the others looked to Batman, too.

"You're free," he told her stoically and walked towards her. "Come on," he said shortly and walked past her. Taipana waved shortly to the others before following him. "You should know that you can't go out on anymore late night vigilante missions."

"Why," she asked offensively. "Am I forbidden because you really have become by probation officer?"

"No," he replied with a withering look in her direction. "The antidote didn't just kill the steroid you were injected with; it killed the splicing drugs. You're human again," he explained and Taipana's sighed in awe.

"Wow," she said quietly. "A normal citizen of Gotham. Well, could be interesting, being a regular human again," she mused optimistically, but she didn't sound too excited.

"Not too normal," he told her and she turned to stare at him confusedly. "You still have your job," he corrected, referring to her bounty hunting for the police, and she smiled.

"And you're not gonna call me out on that," she asked in both amusement and amazement, but he just shook his head.

"Not as long as you keep it to the criminals," he replied, and she nodded. Somehow, he wasn't sure though, he knew he wouldn't have to worry about her getting off track.

"Um, are you okay," she asked quietly, almost awkwardly, and didn't even look him in the eyes but at the floor. "Flash said I scratched you, and I see that, but…"

"I'll be fine, once I have a solid ass to kick," he assured her dryly smirking. His tone made her look up at him and smile a bit. Same old Bruce, she thought. "Your poison was strong, but J'ohn was smart and thought ahead."

"Antitoxin," she asked. He nodded and she nodded back approvingly. "Hey, um, how'd you find the antidote?"

"It's funny how talkative a guy can be when he's hanging over the roof of a thirty-story building by his ankle," he retorted easily, and she looked at him wide eyed.

"Yeah, that's just down right hilarious," she deadpanned and they smirked at one another. "It's strange. I feel like I've been born again – only without the diapers and the crying," she mused and Batman shook his head, suppressing the urge to laugh as they stopped at the teleporter. "Why," she asked seriously, turning to them. "Just tell me that. Why'd you stick your neck out like that to help me? After everything that happened between us…I'm not sure I understand."

"Because I thought you were guilty…and I was wrong," he admitted, and Taipana smiled a little. Bruce was admitting he was wrong. That didn't happen often. Where was her video camera when she needed it? "We may have different ways of enforcing the law, but we both believe in it," he said and she nodded understandingly.

"Well then, I guess I'll go and have Alfred prepare _your_ usual breakfast for _me_: toast, coffee…and a mess of bandages," she joked, and he smiled wanly as she smirked. "Why did you save me, Bruce, honestly?"

"Why do we fall," he asked, and she stared blankly at him. That question sounded strangely familiar, but why? She couldn't remember. Probably an effect of the antidote, she mused. "To learn how to pick ourselves up," he answered, and she smiled amusedly.

"You aren't giving up on me?"

"Never again," he swore. "After all, its not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you. You taught me that, many years ago," he reminded her. Looking up at him, Taipana slowly leaned in and chastely kissed his lips before moving to walk up the steps onto the teleporter. Just as her foot was on the first step though, Batman reached out and pulled her back. "Why don't you stay with here, with us, me," he asked. "There's nothing for you there," he reminded her, knowing very well that Taipana wouldn't be able to handle being normal again.

"There's nothing for me anywhere," she replied wisely. "Gotham City is an open wound begging to be stitched. Someone has to do it while you're away," she told him, smiling tightly, and stepped onto the teleporter. "Besides…I prefer to work alone, remember," she asked with a smirk, waving goodbye to him as he set her coordinates and disappeared. His eyes still glued to where Taipana once stood, he didn't notice the Question walked up behind him with Shayera and Flash not far behind.

"I hope we'll be seeing more of Ms. Harrison now that she's free to prowl again," Question stated.

"I don't think so," Batman replied, his eyes still on the empty teleporter.

"Really? Why not," he asked curiously. "I thought she was quite fond of you. In fact, it's clearly obvious she is. I assumed the feeling was mutual."

"Almost," he replied. "She's in love with Batman," he explained and Question nodded, understanding completely what Batman meant.

"Oh, dear! These modern relationships can be so complicated," Flash exclaimed sarcastically and Batman turned to glare at him. Shayera just rolled her eyes at Flash and hit his arm.

"Sorry your mortal enemy didn't turn out to be your ex, who you wanted behind bars," she said sympathetically, but he easily caught her joking tone.

"That's the life of a crime fighter," he replied and sighed quietly. ""The fault lies not in the stars, but in ourselves,"" he quoted.

"That's awfully deep, especially for you," Flash commented and grinned widely, but Batman scowled at him and walked away. "What? What I say," he called after him with a shrug to Question and Shayera. Superman, who had been watching everything from an upper level, swooped down quietly and followed Batman through the halls until they were finally alone. Batman just leaned against the railing of the wall, looking into space at Earth, as Superman stood tall next to him.

"Well, as the Bard once said, "That which you seek and cannot find is the seeker. You are merely the eye trying to view itself,"" Superman told him helpfully.

"Mind telling me how do you always know the right thing to say," he asked, not really sure he wanted to know the answer from the practically perfect hero. Superman just looked over at him and smiled.

"Years of practice," he admitted honestly, and Batman even smirked, thoroughly amused whilst continuing to stare out the window.

P.S.: Four pages total.


	15. Dark Guardian

**_A/N:_ **I don't own any members of the _Justice League_. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.

**Chapter 15: Dark Guardian**

A year had past since the incident with Taipana and Luthor, who had been thrown in jail from another encounter. Since then, the League had experienced a lot of changes. After Luthor escaped from prison, Gorilla Grodd baited him into joining the new Legion of Doom with a piece of Brainiac technology. Luthor, the Key, and Dr. Polaris stole the Spear of Longinus from Blackhawk Island despite Flash, Fire, Shayera, and the last surviving Blackhawk's attempts to stop them.

Shayera agreed to meet with Carter Hall, an archaeologist who has discovered Thanagarian artifacts from ancient Egypt. Carter revealed himself to be her reincarnated lover from the past and Hawkman to a confused Shayera.

Supergirl, Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., and Green Lantern helped Warlord liberate Skartaris, a hidden world inside the Earth's core, from Deimos, a brutal dictator while protecting a very large piece of Kryptonite from Metallo and Silver Banshee.

Diana protected the body of the Viking Prince from Legion agents, who wanted it for reverse engineering of invulnerability powers, whilst J'onn left the League to better understand humanity. Thankfully, he returned.

Orion attempted to understand Flash's antics as Wally and Batman battled four of Flash's rogues that attacked the museum that was opening in his honor.

Deadman convinced Superman, Batman, and Diana to help him retrieve the stolen souls of a mystic order of monks that the Legion had stolen. They forced the Legion to retreat from Gorilla City, ending Grodd's attempt to turn all people on Earth into apes. Back at a general meeting in the Legion of Doom's headquarters, Luthor cited that Grodd's plan failed and that his "master plan" was silly. He shot him, and took over leadership of the Legion of Doom.

General Wade Eiling from Cadmus stole the "Captain Nazi" super-soldier serum, and injected it into himself to protect the world from meta-humans. With the more powerful League members busy, Green Arrow led Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Shining Knight, Crimson Avenger, Vigilante, and Speedy against him. Eiling only stopped short of killing Shining Knight when a civilian pointed out that Eiling's reason for attacking the heroes was non-existent, as his entire reason for the attack was to rid the world of meta-humans and he was the only one there with super powers.

Magic and science then collided, placing Luthor and Flash's minds in each other's body. The Justice League had to contain a super-speed powered Luthor on the Watchtower while Flash tried to hide the reversal from the Legion. That situation ended fairly well, for the most part.

Roulette restarted Metabrawl, this time with an all-female fight card made up of mind-controlled Justice Leaguers. The Metabrawl took place in Bludhaven, Batman's old friend Dick Grayson's, Nightwing, city. Huntress was allowed re-admittance into the League from Black Canary, but declined.

The hardest blow of all was yet to come though. On her twenty first birthday, Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow were kidnapped and taken to the 31st century by Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy of the Legion of Super-Heroes, where Supergirl was destined to embark on her very last mission: a battle against the Fatal Five and the Legion itself. She fell in love with Brainiac 5 and opted to stay in the future since, according the Legions records, disappeared from the League, Earth, and the universe of the 21st century after her twenty first birthday.

The Hawkman story concluded here when Shadow-Thief captured Green Lantern and beat Shayera and Hawkman, forcing them to watch a vision of their past selves developing an ancient society of Egypt with Thanagarian technology. It turned out that Shadow-Thief was a villain from Carter's mind that was released when he touched the Absorbacron. Hawkman defeated Shadow-Thief by realizing that it not the way he wanted to approach things and left. Green Lantern, not wanting to have destiny play out his life, didn't get back together with Shayera, even though the two confessed their love for one another. Green Lantern went back to Vixen, but not before he told Shayera about Rex Stewart, Warhawk, their possible future son.

Yes, those were just normal days in the lives of the Justice League.

On Earth though, by some miracle, Batman had managed to keep tabs on Taipana. It was after her return to Earth that she slowed down on her bounty hunting, and focused more on re-assimilating herself into society. She got a job, a _real_ job, at a music store part time. The rest of her time was spent working for the police and trying to cut the record she'd always dreamed off. Batman was not surprised at all when she finally got signed to Spade, a fairly new record company.

This particular night, he decided was a fine time to check up on her. Through many sources he'd found out that she was playing at a small club, Aces and Eight's. At the present moment, he was on the sky light roof of the club, watching. The place was packed, and the band was setting up. Pretty soon there was cheering as Taipana came onto the stage, smiling widely and waving to the crowd. She introduced herself, the crowd cheered some more, and the band kicked in.

Hopefully, Taipana would perform well and her career would take off.

_Somebody help me! __I'm being haunted by a whisper, a__ chill comes over me. __I've been trapped inside this moment. __I'm not a victim, __I'm not a freak._

_Free me, before I slip away! __Heal me, wake me from this day! __Can somebody help me?_

_I've seen the face of my affliction, of my reality. __I'm being tortured by the future, of things that yet to be. __I'm being haunted by a vision. __It's like the moment never comes. __I feel the burden of confusion -- a__lways searching, on the run._

_Free me, before I slip away! __Heal me, wake me from this day! __Can somebody help me? __Somebody help me!_

_Now, I'm not a hero, no! __But the weight of the world on my soul! __These images burn in my eyes! __They're burning me up inside!_

_Free me, before I slip away! __Heal me, wake me from this day! __Can somebody help me?_

_Free me, before I slip away! __Heal me, wake me from this day! __Can somebody help me? __Somebody help me! __Somebody help me! __Somebody help me!_

The crowd roared as her single, Somebody Help Me, came to a close. Batman watched Taipana closely, seeing her smile happily at being so well received. Silently, he was thankful that she didn't realize that he was watching her. That would mean that he still, on some level, cared for her. Whether that was true or not, even he didn't know.

With a sigh, he turned to leave when something caught his eyes. Her eyes, they were golden yellow again. Her fingernails, they were sharp and dark green again. Smirking as he straightened, Batman realized what that meant. Taipana was a meta-human again. Her powers had returned. How he had missed that over the past year, in all his "tab keeping" he didn't know.

Leaving without a word, Batman took some comfort in the fact that the old Taipana, his Kendra, was back. He didn't have to worry about her anymore. Well, not as much anyway. As he took off in his jet, the crowd continued cheering. Taipana was still waving to the crowd as she looked up at the skylight. She didn't know it had been Batman, but she had sensed she had someone watching her, some guardian angel. Whether it was the Dark Knight of Gotham or not, she didn't care.

She just smiled.

P.S.: Three pages total.

P.S.: Fifty-eight pages total.


End file.
